Iowa Congressman, David Young, and Nebraska Congressman, Don Bacon, introduced Sarah’s Law on Thursday to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. A companion version of the bill, led by Senator Joni Ernst, was introduced the same day in the U.S. Senate. Sarah Root, an Iowan, was killed in a drunk driving incident. The legislation comes after last year’s disappearance of Eswin Mejia, an illegal immigrant charged with Root’s death. Mejia eluded authorities after posting bail when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) failed to act on requests from local law enforcement to detain him. Sarah’s Law seeks to prevent future cases like this by amending existing mandatory detention provisions in place under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The legislation, if passed, requires ICE to take custody of any individual who has entered or remain in the United States illegally and is also charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. The law would also call for ICE to make reasonable efforts to update crime victims or their families with relevant information about the criminal or federally agency’s efforts.
